wayne_trisha

Passports stay in the safe but we carry a photo copy with us. Not really on this cruise for the OP but you are going to a foreign country usually. If something goes wrong your driver's license is not going to help.

I really like Labadee better than the other island they extremely over developed. Nice way to say it. I understand why RCCl cancelled Labadee for now. 

Go to Goodwill and stock up. No need to buy a bunch of expensive clothes you will not wear again. 

On 1/29/2024 at 12:56 PM, 95south said:

Keep an eye out for the 35% off offers. If one comes around, get it. Welcome to the worst economy ever! 

 

Percentages don't matter. The only thing that matters is the cost per person. They constantly have gimmick sales but just focus on the bottom line price.

Thanks for the map and the idea. Printed it to take along.

Just did a fake booking and I don't see it.

Seashore March 28. No thermal spa listed.

Been on three MSC cruises and had a great time. Last year we did 7 days on Seaside in Aurea balcony. Going on Seashore in a couple months. Beautiful ships!

We also read the negative reviews but did not experience anything like some of the stuff I read. We found the staff very friendly and helpful. Food was great and pizza is delicious. I was not happy when the Aurea bar was not open while docked at Ocean Cay for two days. We rarely go to shows but we did enjoy a Michael Jackson show in the past. Not sure what is currently being offered but my kids do go to shows and their revies are from yuck to wow!

It appears MSC removed the thermal spa as a benefit of an aurea balcony so not really sure why someone would pay much extra for that class.

2 minutes ago, rikitikitavii said:

I would go to the excursion desk as soon as you board and explain the situation. I don’t think there is any other way, but I could be wrong.

I was thinking the same thing you recommended. I really hope they can help. Trying to call people at MSC is an exercise in patience and complete inconsistency.

Going on the Seashore in a couple months. Reserved a cabana today. My mom and dad are going on the cruise and my dad has limited mobility. Last time we reserved a cabana it was near the standup paddleboards and kayak area. Far far away from the ship.

Does anyone know who to contact to request a cabana closer to the food areas? 

Thanks!

Even the included coffee is great. When the lines are long we skipped them and enjoyed the free coffee. Way better than other lines.

On 8/14/2023 at 11:21 AM, OCSC Mike said:

 

While we prefer Oasis class (never did Quantum), we went back on Indy for the first time in a while last year and had a good time. I missed a couple things from Oasis class but I'd sail any ship with a promenade if there was a good deal.

Yep! 25 minutes to Port Canaveral. We keep to ourselves, not really beach people, but not really a fan of the smaller ships. Also would cruise on any ship currently ported at PC except Marella Discovery. Saw Vision OTS in port this past week and damn it is tiny. Not a class for me. But did quite a few Monarch/Sovereign OTS cruise. I think it comes down to cruise length/ship size. Longer the ctusie the bigger the ship I want. Allure coming back next month for Baham runs. Excited!

On 8/23/2023 at 5:07 PM, Mapleleafforever said:

Prices for everything are up and not coming down anytime soon. 

Consumer debt is at record highs. Somehthing is going to get passed over to pay for food, lodging. and transportation. Not sure when it will happen to pricing. They are incredible high. I can cruise MSC with drinks and wi-fi in a blacony for less than an inside without prks on RCCL. so RCCl can pucker up and kiss the starfish.

WOW!!!! How Ficking horrible the cash grab is.I remember when Coco Cay was a tender port with chickens, loungers, bars and buffets. Miss those days. OH YEAH. IT WAS ALL FREE!!!!

People talk about cruise lines nickel and diming them. This is $$ and $$$ them. 

On 8/18/2023 at 5:22 PM, RachLovesSteak said:

This is SO helpful - thank you! I definitely prefer the itinerary of MSC Seaside, especially the overnight stay at the private island! I'm a beach girlie, so any itinerary that includes two days on a private island with a drink package is a win for me!

 

Great to hear about the inclusivity of the drink package. I'm always hesitant about the "tiered" drink packages (NCL limitations got annoying real quick), so very happy that it sounds like MSC's promo drink package includes most everything.

 

All of this sounds pretty positive! I'd say we're easy to please - give me an ocean view and I'm happy! Mainly just want to make sure we won't be wildly disappointed wishing we'd stuck with RCCL, and it doesn't sound like that would be the case. Greatly appreciate you taking the time to share your experience!

Make sure you understand what Bella, Fantastica, and Aurea give you. We definitely loved the private island. We live maybe 20 minutes from the beach but very rarely go. Having a nice pool and blender make beach trips unnecessary and who wants to clean up all that sand. I did standup paddleboarding then we found chairs near a bar. enoyed sun/shade and the drinks.

On 8/12/2023 at 6:45 PM, PAJunkie said:

If you find yourself in Costa Maya again, I recommend going to Mahahual (5 min taxi ride) and reserving a lounge at the Tropicante. 

Tropicante is long gone. Steve packed up and went back to Texas. I thought his manager was going to keep it open but last time we were there it was gone. Sad as it was our favorite place to go.

We are diamond on Royal with 3 Allure cruises and completed 3 cruises on MSC including the Seaside in June. I think the June cruise was one of my favorites. Private island is beautiful and not built up like Coco Cay. I definitely prefer Coco Cay when it was beaches and chickens! The ship is beautiful and the staff super friendly and helpful. Drink package includes nearly all drinks. You can upgrade to the next package up to get all the drinks. Hard to find an IPA outside of the sports bar. Wi-fi worked fine for me but I try to avoid using technology except my Kindle while on a cruise. It pisses me off that cruise lines are going more and more into having to use a phone to make reservations, look at menus, etc onboard. Food is great with lots of variety.  I liked the water slides. Did not attend any shows.

Some things Americans find irritating are the slow pace of dinner, hit or miss getting washcloths (this is a personal item in Europe and MSC is an Italian cruise line), or what people perceive as staff not being attentive to them but this is how things work in Europe. You don’t have a waiter coming to ask you questions every 10 minutes. Some venues have weird hours.

We did a 7 day cruise. Our daughter and SIL did a 4 day cruise a few weeks after us. While we had a great time they were disappointed. The next cruise after them was a charter for a Brazilian music festival and some venues were closed and part of the pool deck also off limits. We had an excellent MDR experience with my choice dining and theirs was not good.

Oasis class is our favorite ship but until Royal gets back to reality with their pricing we will continue to sail other lines and MSC is the first line I look at. Our June cruise was $2700ish in a balcony with the included drinks and Wi-fi. Royal wanted more than $8,000 for an inside room once drinks and Wi-fi were added.

If you book on board and transfer to a TA do you still get the double points? Contemplating a 3 day cheap cruise in order to get onboard and book World America in fall of next year.

10 hours ago, twomommy said:

It looks like she has the “Fantastica” experience. It includes a beverage package and Wi-Fi.

Fantastica does not include drinks and wi-fi.

Call MSC, give them your booking number, and ask tehm to email you all your documents.

5 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

I live in Ft Myers and gotten WHACKED (as in the worst in Florida’s history, which includes Andrew, Charlie and Michael, but I digress) this past September from IAN (many of trillions in loss and will be 5 years plus to recover, def not a clipping) and couple years ago from Wilma and before that from Charlie.  I can go on, but the point has been made.

Your side of the state has certainly received the majority of storms and they have been very strong storms. 

16 minutes ago, NCteacherlovescruising said:

We haven't experienced MSC yet, what retreat from the masses do you get with Aurea?  Do they have a pool deck, restaurant, and lounge like the YC does?  Is the spa busy with so many people having access?  What percentage of cabins are YC?

I don't know the exact number but I would guess less than 100 cabins combined on the ship are Aurea. The top deck Solarium is a large private area on deck 19 with many loungers in the sun and what appears comfortable seating in the shade. It also has its own bar and hot tubs. 

We upgraded to Aurea from Fantastica to get access to the top deck solarium. With reports of long lines at bars I wanted an area I can be out in the sun and gets drinks without the hassle of long lines. Find a waiter who is going  to be there all week and tip early and often. Thermal suite will be ok, priority boarding is nice, and we eat early so mychoice dining didn't really matter.

In all my years of cruising and reading this forum I do not ever remember anyone saying they were told to stand outside the terminal and wait for their time. Go when you want and possibly encounter a delay in the terminal due to the number of people checking in. There is no large place for people to wait outside and as our afternoon storms are starting they certainly do not want people standing outside during thunderstorms. 

22 hours ago, TequilaJane said:

The logistics and cost of sailing out of New York is a bear. Its easier to supply the ships in Fl. Getting to the ship in New York can be a hassle if the weather is bad. Not to say that hurricanes in Fl. are much better. 

Hurricanes making landfall in florida is not common despite what everyone thinks. After Wilma in 2005 I think the next time we had a Florida landfall was 2017 and it barely clipped north Florida. They usually go south into the gulf or up the coast into the Carolinas. Now dodging them in the caribbean is a whole different story.